Telemachus Remembers
by L-Telemachus
Summary: Telemaches reflects back on all that has happened to him


Telemachus remembers  
  
1 Book 25  
  
As Dawn with her rosy-red fingers rose up over the hills Zeus who marshals the thunderheads sat with Athena. Athena's eyes sparkled as she told Zeus how everything in Ithaca was peaceful again now that Odysseus was home. Zeus the ruler of the skies replied that he was impressed with Telemachus's immense growth in such a short time. It seemed like only yesterday that he had watched Telemachus first enter into the world. He praised his child for inspiring Telemachus to take action and realize how he could save his family from the suitors. Athena's eyes glowed with pride at the complement from her father who ruled the skies.  
  
At the same moment Zeus was discussing the mortal lives with his daughter, I was thinking about my own life and the changes that it had undergone the last couple weeks. I was sitting in a field outside my house thinking about what I was like before I discovered that my father, Odysseus, was on his way home. How content I was now with my father home and peace restored in Ithaca, that's how upset and lost I was before Athena saved me. I sat around my house wishing that my father was back so he could stop the suitors from eating us out of house and home. I was too afraid to take any action against the suitors because I believed that I wouldn't be able to stand up to them. Athena saved me when she journeyed to the mortal world in the shape of Mentor and inspired me with a plan to find news about my father. She moved me to take action and gave my heart courage. After being inspired I remember how strong and powerful I felt. I started ordering everyone around and thought I looked like a god. But I soon learned that it took a lot longer than one day to go from a boy to a man. The suitors never believed that I would actually take action and paid no attention to me at the city council.  
  
As Dawn rose over the new day I found myself feeling depressed. It was a lot harder to organize a sea voyage then I had planned and the suitors seemed to "foil each move I [made]"(101). But luckily Athena was still by my side and inspired me by saying "brave and adept from this day on – Odysseus's cunning has hardly given out in you…"(102). When I put on my sandals and picked up my well-honed spear that morning I felt just like a god.  
  
As Dawn with her rosy-red fingers rose over the sea our voyage successfully stopped in Pylos. I was nervous about asking King Nestor about my father. But Athena with eyes afire must have inspired me with wisdom because I had no trouble speaking with the king and in fact some words just seemed to leap right out of my mouth without any bidding from me. Speaking with the king became no trouble at all and he even admired my way with words. I must have gained some new wisdom from my journey to Pylos. When King Nestor asked about my father's return I told him that it was inconceivable, even thought Athena had told my that he was bound to return home, so not to revel my plan.  
  
When Dawn next rose over the rosy horizon I found myself in the magnificent palace of Menelaus, who was an old friend of my father's. It touched my heart when they declared that I could be no one but Telemachus because I greatly resembled Odysseus. I felt very grown up at this point because I had showed wisdom like my father and now I looked just like them. I was even thinking to myself that I might even turn out to be as great of a man as my father.  
  
I learned however that I was not quite ready to fill Odysseus's shoes because as Dawn rose over the awesome palace of Menelaus he put on his sandals and taking his rugged spear stepped out of his room dressed like a god. I looked at his spear jagged and cut from the many battles he had experienced and then I saw my spear with its straight, sharp edge, looking almost new. I realized that I was not fully-grown or ready to be great as Odysseus.  
  
As Dawn with her rosy red fingers rose in the east Athena inspired my heart with the need to journey home. I felt in power and momentarily forgot the disappointment of learning that I wasn't quite ready to fill my father's shoes as I took charged and commanded my crew on how to prepare for the journey home. On the journey back to Ithaca I ordered my crew like a horse driver driving his horses to town. He rides in the carriage commanding his horses with the whip while the horses are directed by his commands and do not stray off the road. The driver feels responsible for the safety of his horses and makes sure that they reach the town safely. There is no objection from the horses about his guidance and they are loyal and listen to their commanding master. The driver is the supervisor of all his horses and he makes sure that they safely reach the town. So I managed my crew on the journey home and made sure to avoid any dangers. When I arrive home I went directly to the swineherd to see what has been happening during my absence. I am surprised to see a stranger sitting in the beggars hut and even more surprised when the swineherd declares that I must care for and shelter this poor stranger. Now I must admit that I had been feeling grown up on the ship ride home as I was in charge and commanding my crew but I wasn't ready for this. I didn't really want to bring the stranger into my house because the suitors would be there and they would probably torment him while he wondered why a young man like me hadn't taken charge of the situation. I didn't want that to happen and I had really tried to get rid of the suitors so before I could stop my tongue I felt myself saying, "How can I lend the stranger refuge in my house? I'm young myself. I can hardly trust my hands to fight off any man who rises up against me"(340). I really had no idea of the shock that would come next. After the swineherd left I was left alone with the stranger. He came over to me and to my astonishment he told me that he was Odysseus, my father. At first I denied that this could be true and yelled out, "No, you're not Odysseus! Not my father!"(342). After I came to the realization that this amazing news was in fact true I felt joy and immeasurable relief as I thought I felt the burden of saving the household lift from my shoulders. I could leave it all up to Odysseus now. But suddenly I felt immense embarrassment. Odysseus was probably thinking at this very moment that he had a lousy son who hadn't the courage to avenge his household and could only wait for his father's return. I now was determined to show him what a courageous son I was and made up my mind to help him with the plan in any way I could. I'm relieved when my father gives me a job to help the plan to kill the suitors and I assure him that, "I'm hardly a flighty weak- willed boy these days"(348).  
  
As Dawn with her rosy red fingers shone once more, I stepped out of my room satisfactorily carrying my spear that was rugged and fit my grip. I was proud to say that I was no longer a boy inept a battle. I felt all grown up that whole day and enjoyed helping my father plot the suitors' demise. When my mother mentioned that when I was a boy I behaved differently. I felt such pride as I when I reminded her, "the boy you knew is gone"(383).  
  
The one thing however that made me feel the most grown up was during the competition to win my mother's hand. The winner had to string Odysseus's bow and shoot the arrow through many axes. I tried to string the bow and on the first two tries I was unsuccessful but on the third try I used all my strength and I knew I was about to do it. Odysseus, who was sitting in the corner disguised as a beggar, saw that I was about to do it to and motioned me to stop. I felt so grown up, my father could recognize that I had strength, maybe even almost as much as he did. I knew without a doubt that my father was proud of me when he let me fight with him against the suitors. But I was assured of the pride he felt for me as his son when we were surprised by a mob at my grandfather's palace. My father yelled across the battlefield to make sure "not to disgrace your father's line"(485). He inspired me with these words like a mother bird would encourage her chick to try to fly. The chick would feel courage because he knew that his mother believed in him and would watch over him until he learned to fly as high as she could. So my father yelled across the battlefield to me and somehow I knew that he was saying that he believed that I would be no exception to the great line of men in his family. I felt the most exhilaration I had ever felt in my life to know that my father believed that one day I would be able to fill his great shoes and I delighted in reassuring him that I wouldn't disgrace his line. 


End file.
